52 BULLETIN 320, TJ. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



This is primarily a potato-growing section, with a sandy or sandy- 

 loam soil 8 to 12 inches deep, underlain with a heavier sandy-loam 

 subsoil, which is often gravelly. This area is almost level, and since 

 the soil is of a sandy character practically no drainage is required 

 except on the low lands, where big drainage ditches are cut every 

 mile or so. 



The leading roads have been macadamized, and the country is 

 fairly prosperous. Practically all the farms are worked by their 

 owners, with some hired labor for harvesting crops. The farms 

 range from 150 to 200 acres in size, with 125 to 150 acres tillable, 

 but a considerable part of this area is usually in pasture. 



As a general rule no definite rotations are practiced, but usually 

 potatoes are planted on sod land, and corn is either grown on sod 

 land or follows potatoes. Corn is followed by rye or oats, and 

 potatoes, when not followed by corn, are followed with rye or oats. 

 Timothy and clover is often sown with rye and oats. This crop is 

 cut for hay the first year and allowed to stand another year for 

 pasture. Hardly enough fruit or truck is grown to supply home 

 demands, but the muck areas are well adapted to trucking, and 

 cranberries are grown in favorable sections. 



The principal sources of income are from potatoes and grain. 

 Enough dairy farms are maintained to supply local demands, and 

 enough hogs are produced to supply meat for the local markets. 



The tillage methods are exceptionally uniform in this region. 

 About half the corn land is broken in the fall and half in the spring 

 with 2-horse and 3-horse plows. Then, before planting, the land is 

 harrowed once with a disk and once with a spike-tooth harrow. 

 Practically all the corn is planted level, and about half the planting 

 is in checks 3^ feet apart each way, with two stalks to the hill. 

 About one-half is planted in drills 3^ feet apart, with one stalk every 

 10 or 12 inches in the drill. Most of the planting is done with a 

 2-horse 2-row planter, but some farmers in checking plant by hand. 



After planting, the field is gone over with a spike-tooth harrow 

 once and with a weecler once. After this most of the cultivating 

 is done with a 2-horse 6-shovel cultivator. The 2-horse 8-shovel, 

 the 2-horse 10-shovel spring-tooth, and the 5-shovel 1-horse culti- 

 vators are used by a few farmers. After going over the field twice 

 with the spike-tooth harrow or weeder, usually three cultivations 

 are gh T en. 



Practically no cover crops are grown. No commercial fertilizer 

 is used. Stable manure is usually applied to the sod land before 

 breaking for potatoes. 



The early white dent varieties of corn are principally grown. 



The most prevalent weeds are foxtail, wild buckwheat, ragweed, 

 quack-grass, and pigweed. 



